60 years old and not sure

As noted, I am 60 years old. I have 3 grown sons that were all delivered vaginally. 4 years ago, I had mesh implanted for stress incontinence. That has now eroded and needs to be removed. The doctor will only remove the area where the erosion has occurred. Up until now, I have not been on hormones of any sort because I had no hot flashes or night sweats. I am however, very moody and just downright *****y sometimes. I'm tired and I feel 60. When I went to see my ob/gyn yesterday, I was discussing this with her and we discussed the idea of hormone replacement. She agreed and so that's what I'm doing now.
Back to my original thought now. I really want to have a hysterectomy. At 60 years old, I'm not going to have more kids. I do have some pelvic pain but that's it. The fear of cancer from HRT is always there. I told her that in all likelihood there will come a time that I need to have my uterus and tubes removed. I figure if I already asleep and having vaginal repair done, it makes sense to me to go ahead and have it all done at the same time. She said it was up to me. I can't think of any reason not to have it removed. It seems safer to remove it at my age now rather than 10 years later. Any thoughts or advice? Thank you so much.

Why do you believe it will ultimately need to be removed? Do you have a diagnosis of pelvic disease? It may be that there is a much simpler fix than hysterectomy. I'm glad you found us and are asking questions. I hope you find the answers.

Some believe the uterus and surrounding ligaments help prevent prolapse of the bladder and vagina. Some believe uterine contractions during orgasm are important. The uterus actually produces hormones too. Those are some reasons some may want to keep their uterus. A fear of cancer depending on how severe, can be difficult to live with however. Maybe more discussions with your doctor can help you make the best decision in your individual case. It doesn't seem as if you have to rush to your current surgery. Let us know what you ultimately decide. Take care.

I am 61. I had to have a hysterectomy and salpin-oophorectomy after a D&C came back positive for precancer. Since I have medical history that puts me at a higher risk for ovarian and uterine cancer, it was a no brainer. When I researched the type of precancer cells I had, they gave eight factors that put one at a higher risk - I had 6.

You have given us no reason why you fear cancer, so I assume it is just your general concern. Having had children you are at a lower risk. If you have no family history - you are at a lower risk.

I am on Wellburtrin which the doctor told me is what he often puts women on to control menopause symptoms. My PCP doubled the dosage just before surgery. When I go back for my post op check up the 30th I will bring up the need or not need. My only concern is osteoporosis.

I think you really need to do more research and heart searching. Maybe do some writing about why, your feelings, pros and cons, etc. It is not cheap either. Unless money is not a factor, I would look into whether your insurance will cover it if it is medically not necessary.

I am 59, and had my hysterectomy two years ago, it was not optional, there was a strong likelihood I did have endometrial cancer, (which was confirmed by post surgery pathology). As such, I am grateful to have had the hysterectomy, but the side effects of the surgery are not trivial, and I must needs remind myself that being alive is worth it...

Before my surgery I was a pretty active healthy woman. It took me a lot longer than the average six weeks to get my stamina and strength back, and, in fact, I still am nowhere near as strong as I was before. I now have lymphedema in both legs and will need to wear compression socks for the rest of my life. I have more issues with incontinence than I ever had as a post-menopausal woman prior to my surgery. I have residual nerve damage in my upper legs. The most unexpected result, and one that entirely breaks my heart, is that I no longer have any libido or response at all. This was not the case prior to my surgery and was, in part, the reason my sweetheart left me. This "deficiency" has ruined a basic part of my everyday life. In addition, my mental capacity of memory has never recovered from all the anaesthesia. All of these issues will be a part of my life from now on, what is called "the new normal"

Not everyone has the same set of side effects, but if you do not have either symptoms of concern regarding cancer or a family history, I would really advise talking to several medical professionals; perhaps a consult with a gynecological oncologist would be helpful. You might be more at ease if you had some additional tests, like an endometrial Biopsy or a D&C, to see if there are signs that your uterus is either healthy or not doing well, before doing something as drastic as pulling it all out